>> production assistants for "inside washington was provided by albritton communications and politico. ♪ >> tonight, i am announcing that the american combat mission in iraq has handed them up this week, is the war in iraq really over? was the sacrifice worth it? >> palle always and the balance over time i think remains to be seen. >> alaska senator lisa marie caskey throws in the towel. >> i don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor of them atop another win for sarah palin and tea party. >> lasting peace will only be achieved with mutual and painful

concessions from both sides. >> mideast peace talks -- will president obama succeed where others before him have failed? hurricane earl is happening and storm clouds return for congress in washington. ♪ >> president obama spoke to be a nation from the oval office this week seven years after the united states invaded iraq. he said the american combat mission has ended and he has kept his promise to the american people. >> this was my pleasure to the american people as a candidate for this office. last february, i announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of iraq by redoubling our efforts to strengthen their security forces and support its government and people. that is what we have done.

>> when dan harris past secretary gates if the war was worth it, secretary gates said it remains to be seen. was it worth it? >> no. >> charles? >> i am more humble and making a judgment. i go with secretary superdelegates who was there in many stages of the war. he says history will judge when the korean armistice was assigned. the majority of americans thought the war was not worth it. i think the judgment of history today is probably different and i think if iraq, if, if iraq to establishes a democracy and begins a trend of democratization, history will say it was. if it doesn't, history will say it wasn't. >> 3400 americans were killed, we spent close to $1 trillion,

we went to war because of weapons of mass destruction, we found no weapons of mass destruction to destroy. the president said we have turned a page. that may be true but we have not closed the book on iraq. we are in the middle of the book and have many chapters to go. was it worth it? it is hard to say yes when you have a situation with iran who was an enemy of iraq and is now on good speaking terms with iraq since the evasion -- since the invention. >> i don't believe it was worth. it was more than the blood and treasure involved. i say that with i hope some respect for those. who those it was a pre-emptive war against the country that had never

attacked the united states, that had never threatened the the united states. we went in under a false premise. it was a war that not only 4400 americans were killed and over 40,000 were wounded or crippled and the cost of $3 trillion, but the iraqis themselves, 100,000 dead at least, 2.5 million dislocated from their own country, 2 million expatriate's living out of the country, and has left the united states less able to organize a coalition and less believable and credible in organizing a coalition in afghanistan. >> did the invasion of iraq make american citizens safer in the long run? >> no, in fact it probably made the world situation and for us less safe.

saddam hussein was despicable, he actually control the country and there was no doubt that there when he was in power because there would have been a threat to them. therefore, but the captor policy provided to iran and the control over terrorism in his own country was probably in a cold hearted national security way beneficial to us. not the other way around. he did not have weapons of mass destruction. since we had a good inspection system and he did not have weapons of mass destruction, for us, it was probably not a bad situation. it was terrible for the iraqi people. >> the concern for the iraqis is an incredible and asia. --amnesia. before the war, the clinton administration was attacked relentlessly. thousands of iraqis were dying

because of the embargo, especially iraqi children, tens of thousands. if you want to make a tally of their losses, you have to remember what the situation was at the time. secondly, as the criteria of iraq never attacking us, they did not attack us and the gulf war either. they invaded kuwait. would you have said the gulf war was a mistake? >>no. >> that is not a criteria you decide you go to war. lastly, the president making this speech could never have made that speech ending our mission with relative success had the search not occurred. the president opposed it. senator biden opposed it. my colleagues opposed it at the time. we should of had a diplomatic source. the obama administration must after one charge, a diplomatic mission to establish a new government. it has failed entirely in doing that. >> you will get great arguments

from the american military on the search itself and whether it was the sunni uprising and the distribution of large amounts of cash. that aside, the fact is that the united states of america is not in a stronger position internationally. we organized a coalition after iraq entered crew -- kuwait. it was with 36 nations who sent in troops for it we could not form a coalition today as a direct consequence of invading correct. they would say we misled our partners. >> iraq also invaded kuwait. they did not do anything. >> i listen to the left as well and i did not hear the left make a big noise that we need to do something because of the way saddam hussein was stealing oil money. that was not the issue at the time. there was no comment from the

left to invade iraq that came from the right. we know that. >> now we prepare for november elections in earnest. >> i call upon you today to say there are no be heading spread that was a false statement and it needs to be cleared up right now. >> i will call you out. i think you should renounce your support and endorsement of the unions that are boycotting our state. >> that is a portion of a debate between the arizona republican governor and her democratic challenger. governor brewer said the state has become violent because of illegal immigration. her challenger says that is not so following hours on the pulse of enactment of the tough immigration law, but the moral bridget: and a tory candidates in many states are following that line of thinking.

>> it is encouraging to think that people and the arizona desert are not being be headed only shot. i'm sure that as an improvement under security in the circumstances. it is clear that we are headed for a wave election. the most important number is the generic ballot. you ask people will vote democratic or republican and the spread is 10% republicans which is the largest spread in 68 years. ronald reagan was a democrat at the time. >> a recent gallup polls of the outlook for democratic candidates is more bleak than 1994 and 2006. the pot -- the president's popularity is in the 40% percentile. >> people are supporting it because it is cheap. big deal. everybody knows that this case will go to the supreme court are we will find out what is possible that. >> jonathan martin looks at

three senate races. as the president's popularity continues to attack, what is the chance of all the democrats getting knocked off? >>russ feingold was always considered the firewall in wisconsin and is popular across the board. if he is in trouble in wisconsin, democrats are in trouble elsewhere. on your question about immigration -- anxiety, fear gripped the country economically. that is the time to go after strangers and others. we learned this week that illegal immigration in this country has dropped by 67%. all of this is a fabrication. in this kind of climate when people -- this matter is the most the on the job rating. the unemployment rate is still

up and went up 9.6% this past week. that is the one that is a killer. >> but added 67,000 jobs. you have been skeptical about a republican sweep? >> every passing day i see more predictions of such a thing. i still think at the end of the day that we will not seek both houses of congress taken over by the republicans. i think -- the case still must be made by the private members on the ground, the democrats on the ground and the ones running for reelection, they voted for these programs. they have to stand up and defend their boats. if they cannot do that, shame on them. >> what about lisa murkowski who has been a figure in alaska politics for years. how did she get knocked off? >> you have to give credit to

sarah sinsemilla. shechem out for joe miller and a big way. she endorsed him and -- get for credit where credit is due. >> the candidate joe miller is not exactly a nobody. he is a decorated veteran perr . her endorsement kicked off half a million dollars of endorsement from the tea party. in a small state in terms of demographics, that made a big difference. >> is this significant or a family feud? >> i never heard john kerry's military credentials brought into question. so be it with joe miller. this was an impressive victory.

the rakowski/palin thing goes back to 2006 which is the only time that sarah palin ever won a statewide election. she beat frank murkowski. she left the office and lease out murkowski took a shot at it. >> between miller and jerry, miller does not windsurf in a wet suit. alaska is too cold. [laughter] >> let's move along. president obama tries or others before him have failed with the mideast peace talks. >> i respect your people's desire for sovereignty. i am convinced it is possible to reconcile that desire with israel's need for security. >> the israeli prime minister netanyahu talking to president mahmoud abbas of the palestinian

authority. hamas claimed responsibility for killings in the west bank. abbas says the hamas has no right to represent palestinians back up these talks will be difficult. it is important for the united states to remain engaged. >> it will be important for the united states to recognize the difficult position in which netanyahu finds himself% not just because he has strong opposition to what he is trying to achieve in the peace talks, but because at issue, from my point of view, is that -- is israel's own future, its state. they are still in hostile territory. you have hamas who don't want to engage in peace talks. you have people in the region who would just as soon see israel wiped off the face of the earth. that is the reality. that is the neighborhood in which netanyahu finds himself.

the united states has to be very careful that it does not weaken -- this will surprise many people -- they cannot weaken israel's position. israel is a very, very difficult position. >> for home does abbas speak? >> he speaks for fatah. >> in many ways i give him enormous credit for doing something that he has for 20 years believe them. he has always renounced violence. increasingly, he is somewhat isolated, but he is doing this anyway even though his own allies are at best lukewarm about israel, i think, is in a position of strength. their economy is fine. they have not had a suicide bomber in two years. netanyahu is in a strong political position he can only benefit by these talks.

if he succeeds, he is a hero and it doesn't succeed, he is still a hero. >> i think the administration should be commended for the way it's structured these talks. it is exactly the right way to approach it. mitchell spoke to the press yesterday after one of these meetings in which he said this negotiation over the next year is about final status. it is about an end of the conflict. it is about the settlement of all grievances. it is not interim. oslo was a disaster. it is not a partial tear . it has to be a framework meeting all the huge concessions have to be agreed to. israel will give up territory, the palestinians will give up the right of return, israel give up holding onto all of jerusalem, the palestinians will grant israel some security on the jordan border that is what work with the egypt

negotiations. there is a framework between israel and egypt were afterwards the lawyers worked out details. that is exactly what is necessary here. it is an end to the conflict it i think that is the right structure and i think it is the right approach. the problem is that the israelis are ready. netanyahu is ready but whether any palestinian leader will sign the agreement, i doubt it. >> it is the question but i give mahmoud abbas great credit for putting that together. that is his own political future. he is possibly putting his own life on the library also give, reluctantly, mr. netanyahu credit. when the terrorist attack occurred and four israelis were killed, that in the past would have been the excuse for ending talks. the fact that he went beyond that and said the talks and the

and the mission is the most important, i think that says the seriousness of this and it is like nixon going to china, i hope. >> i think you have to have more participation by the saudis. i think you have to have the jordanians step up. you have to have the arab world deal with this problem of a moderate if they don't do it, where do we go? >> to be continued. once labor day and hurricane earl is behind us, congress returns. >> if you can get a payroll tax holiday, that is huge. a lot of the benefits would flow to workers and give reasons to employ more people. i will take it. it if it is of sufficient scale. >> it has to be big? paul krugman was talking about a washington post report that says the white house is looking at a series of tax breaks including a temporary payroll tax holiday.

well that fly in congress? >> they are not seeking a second still is package because it cannot move. i am not sure what they can get done between now and election day to make a difference. even if they propose tax cuts for small businesses, i don't see it working for the economy. >> we mentioned the on and plummet rate at 9.6% and 67,000 jobs added. will that play with the electorate? >> i think the democrats need a fight going into this election. it strikes me that the most logical place is if the congress does not act, all the bush cat -- tax cuts expire and the democrats better be ready for a fight and the white house better be ready to leave them on extending the tax cuts for those earning under 250,000 but not for those over. >> democrats are starting to cave then? >> some democrats are bedwetting

on this idea. if the president cannot make that case politically to the nation, i think it is time to start working on a concession speech. >> this is nibbling around the edges of a big, industrial temporary industrial tax break. to spur business but in the united states. that is a very difficult thing to do. >> i think the tragedy for the administration is if they had proposed a huge payroll tax holiday as the original stimulus and not spent on infrastructure or the highway system like they did in the depression, if they have figured a way -- if he had done that at the beginning of the administration, he would have put republican supporte.

he would argued that the economy, the plight of the economy is shared by republicans and democrats are i think it would have helped him politically i think it would of had a much larger effect in helping the economy than the stimulus did. >> the non-partisan and widely respected congressional budget office has estimated that up to 4 million jobs have been saved or created by the stimulus. the idea of republican cooperation -- at barack obama had proposed a mother's day resolution on january 21, 2009, the republicans would have said they cannot vote on that now. >> i would have supported that. [laughter] jessup jobs saved is angels on the head of a pin. you can create jobs temporarily.

ditch digging is a job. if you want to create permanent job, you do tax cuts. >> your solution? >> part of my solution is the irony here is that the biggest job loss is at state and local government levels. everybody from teachers and firemen to policeman and other folks. states have a balanced budget requirements. they are doing two things that are terrible in a recession, laying people off and raising taxes. if you could give them some money to tide them over, that might make a huge difference tea party folks are of vociferously opposed to that. so are republicans. >> 300,000 of them showed up for glen beck last weekend. were you there? >> i was there at the lincoln memorial. i have watched large gatherings there many times. there were 86,000 people. there were no signs because we

were told not to bring in a. ny. >> was it a blending of religion and politics? >> a little p and. this was led by glen beck to have a lot to say about president obama's christianne the ticket he did not know what the hell he was talking about. that has never stopped him before. a good time was had by all. they brought up martin luther king jr. is nam's name. >> the religious aspect of this was real.

it touched many people there. as a leader, his rod blagojevich -- a bugaboo was social justice. any time you hear a priest, a minister, or a rabbi talk about social justice, you run out of that church. this is so contrary to what most people take as the christian message. when i was hungry, you fed me. that seems to be antithetic alabama he targets liberation theology with pope john paul ii did not believe an. >> that is a problem between the catholic church and the clergy in america. it has nothing to do christianity. every sunday at my church, we

pray for people who are oppressed because people are oppressed in this world. yet, glen beck says that is what liberation theology is all about, being concerned about oppression. we should be concerned about the soul of the individual credit he does not know what he is talking about. >> i am at a disadvantage because i am not an expert on christian theological disputes. i am glad the co friendlby feels cleansed of his sense of it does that have to go to church next week. >there was an article in the atlantic on the march. he was skeptical going in. he said he found it rather remarkable that glen beck spoke about dr. king incredibly respectfully as an american hero

and said he sounded sincere. if he was in, that was an odd way to appeal to 300,000 begets. i think it is encouraging you had him accepted in a crowd where everyone has said that the tea party is racist or a supplely a racist. there is unanimity in the country about dr. king. >> see you next week ♪ ♪ for a transcript of this broadcast, log onto